A beloved Maui man was allegedly beaten to death while feeding stray cats in a popular tourist area.
Alfred Kailihiwa, 71, died after suspects Johnathan Koko-Kong, 31, and Richard Kealoha-Kaauwai, 34, allegedly attacked him on August 6 in Kahului on Maui’s North Shore.
Police said the pair targeted Alfred and his sister Valerie Kailihiwa, 73, after the alleged assailants and an unidentified woman confronted the well-known cat caretaker over their use of bright headlights.
At the time, Alfred and Valerie were driving in the area on a quest to feed stray cats, an activity for which Kaauwai was famous locally. The siblings fed about 700 cats a night, every night of the year, and he trapped cats to get them fixed at the Maui Humane Society.
As the trio allegedly pounced on the Kailihiwas, Alfred hit them with pepper spray and fled with his sister in her car. The pair eventually stopped to near the intersection of Lalo and Hukilike Street to feed another group of feral felines.
But Koko-Kong, Kealoha-Kaauwai and their female companion had secretly followed the elderly siblings, police say, and unleashed a vicious surprise attack on them just after 11 p.m.
Valerie described the stunning violence from the witness stand at a preliminary hearing held Wednesday in Wailuku, HawaiiNewsNow reported.
“I was thrown to the ground and the bruises on my arm, the bruises on my knee trying to stand up,” she said. “He took the flashlight away from me and just kept yelling, ‘I’ll teach you *** a lesson. I’ll teach you a lesson.’”
The assailants allegedly bashed Alfred in the head several times before he fell to the ground, police say. They also allegedly kicked him repeatedly while he was down and attempted to steal his sister’s car and took her flashlight.
Alfred was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center with critical, life-threatening injuries and later died, authorities said. His sister suffered minor injuries.
Koko-Kong and Kealoha-Kaauwai have each been charged with murder, robbery and assault. They are being held without bail.
Their female companion was arrested in connection with the case and released pending further investigation.
Kealoha-Kaauwai has 18 prior convictions, eight of which are felonies, according to HawaiiNewsNow. Koko-Kong has two felony convictions.
“It’s unthinkable what happened,” Alfred’s daughter, Jaime Kaho’ohanohano, told the outlet. “I can’t believe that there are people out there that could be so evil to harm our kupuna. I mean, my dad’s 71.”
Alfred’s nephew thanked bystanders who intervened in the attack and saved his mother’s life.
“My mom could have been another loss,” said Samuel Kailihiwa. “Thank God for the Good Samaritans that stepped in and called the cops. Because if not, then my mom probably wouldn’t be here either.”
Alfred’s other daughter, Kalei, said described what happened to her father as heinous and said the suspects need to be held accountable.
“I don’t know that I’m ready for forgiveness. I don’t know that I will be for a long time,” she said.
Members of Maui’s animal rescue community created an online fundraiser to help Kailihiwa’s family. It has already raised more than $45,000.
“Alfred is a beloved member of the Maui community, and especially adored by the Maui Cat Community,” the fundraiser states.
“He really loved his sister, with whom he lived and trapped, and we’d like to do him right by making this situation a little easier on her.”
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